Michelle Obama 'Scared' President Obama Into Quitting Smoking

dinsdag 24 september 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Maressa Brown 2 hours ago

When President Obama took office, he was thought to be many things -- a revolutionary, a change-agent, and a smoker ... Ick. But POTUS recently said that he's kicked the nasty habit -- and it's all thanks to FLOTUS Michelle Obama.

Obama was overheard yesterday telling a United Nations official, "I haven't had a cigarette in six years ... that's because I'm scared of my wife." Ha, oh jeeze. Whether or not that six-year timeframe is 100 percent true is up for debate. In 2009, Obama said: "I've said before that as a former smoker I constantly struggle with it. Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes. Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No." Well, even if that's the case, it's still good news. And proof that Michelle has done a fab job encouraging her husband to lay off the death sticks.

Sounds like she called in for backup to get the job done. Last year, Michelle explained that Barack's motivation to squash his smoking for good was their daughters, Sasha and Malia. FLOTUS told iVillage:

I know that his ability to ultimately kick the habit was because of the girls, because they're at the age now where you can't hide. I think that he didn't want to look his girls in the eye and tell them that they shouldn't do something that he was still doing.

Interesting. So President Obama's "scared" of not just his wife but his daughters? Ha, hey, whatever it takes! Everyone has different reasons for finally quitting, but I wouldn't be surprised if one of the biggest, most common motivators is doing it for a loved one ...

I've been hounding reminding my parents for a couple of years now that there's no way my husband and I are going to be comfortable with them smoking the way they do and being around their future grandchildren. (Even if they do it outside, they're bound to bring the smell into the house, which I just can't see myself tolerating.) I'm not counting my chickens, but I think what I've been saying may have finally started getting through to at least my mom, who started using an e-cigarette just this week. Fingers crossed it's the first step in the right direction!

Like Obama, she may joke at some point that I bullied or "scared" her into quitting, but if she's no longer a smoker then, it'll have been well worth it! 

What have you done to urge loved ones to quit smoking -- or what have loved ones done to help you?

Image via jurvetson/Flickr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maressa Brown

has enjoyed reporting and writing for a variety of entertainment and women's magazines and websites. More often than not, you'll find her blogging, hitting the gym, reading, researching something on her iPhone, laughing, chatting at an above-"normal" volume, or getting her caffeine fix.

More
?

reacties | | Read More...

Michelle Obama Slammed for Telling Us to 'Drink More Water'

zaterdag 14 september 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Maressa Brown 8 hours ago

You can almost guarantee that if President Obama or First Lady Michelle Obama endorse something, anything, whether it's a new sweeping reform that will affect every last American household OR a certain dog breed (say, Portuguese water dogs, like Bo and Sunny!), there's going to be SOMEONE out there who has a problem with it. Just because it came from the POTUS and FLOTUS. For the most recent example, look no further than a new program by Michelle's Partnership for a Healthier America to encourage people to drink more water for its health/energy benefits. ZOMG, how controversial!

Yes, somehow that has been the reaction to Mrs. Obama's water campaign from experts, who claim the White House is "overselling the benefits of water." Give me a break.

The biggest problem I see with Michelle's push to drink up isn't that it's a waste of time or bizarre. It's a perfectly legitimate aim. We all know -- or should! -- to drink more water, especially in lieu of sugary, empty-calorie-laden drinks. The problem is that it's not controversial ENOUGH! Here, 7 much more controversial health issues that I could actually see being squawked about ... but also deserve to be discussed in a bigger way:

Medical marijuana. Despite some progress in this department in recent years and research that keeps coming out, and CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta saying he "changed his mind on weed," there are still states that are doing their darndest to keep medical marijuana from patients could benefit from it much more than toxic pharmaceuticals. Speaking of which ...How we (over-)medicate. We and New Zealand are the only two western countries that allow direct-to-consumer marketing of pharmaceutical drugs. Why? Is it really okay that people walk into their doctors' offices requesting this anxiety med or that narcotic?Environmental toxins. Various experts love to belittle or blow off the idea that parabens, phthalates, BPA, etc. are screwing with our hormones and causing disease and illness. It would be awesome if the FLOTUS would push the FDA to come clean and be real with us about all of it.GMOs. Another one that seems to be a big controversy but could use a push for stronger science.Cancer. Are research dollars really going where we believe and would hope they are?Light drinking while pregnant. Controversial? Oh, hell yes! But is this really something women need to be worried about? Maybe we ought to do more research and have real, evidence-based debate about it instead of continuing to treat it as a total no questions asked no-no.The war on women. A woman's right to choose and have access to cancer screenings and birth control should NOT be up for debate. The year is 2013, not 1320.

I don't know about you, but these are all health problems/setbacks/challenges our country is facing that seem to have much higher stakes than the First Lady recommending that we "drink more water." 

What do you think about the FLOTUS' new campaign? What are some other health issues you think are actually deserve to be labeled "controversial"?

Image via whitehouse.gov

Click "Like" for more on issues that are important to moms. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maressa Brown

has enjoyed reporting and writing for a variety of entertainment and women's magazines and websites. More often than not, you'll find her blogging, hitting the gym, reading, researching something on her iPhone, laughing, chatting at an above-"normal" volume, or getting her caffeine fix.

More
?

reacties | | Read More...

Discurso del Presidente Obama sobre Siria: votación sobre huelgas pospuesto (VIDEO)

woensdag 11 september 2013

To is invalid
Parameter name: to
por Adriana Vélez hace 9 horas

Esta noche Presidente Obama pronunció un discurso el conflicto en Siria en la que anunció que podría no ser planeamos cualquiera se mueve muy pronto. "Yo tengo... pidieron a los líderes del Congreso de aplazar la votación para autorizar el uso de la fuerza mientras perseguimos esta trayectoria diplomática, "dijo esta noche. O, si eres cínico y en Twitter, podría ponerlo así: la guerra contra Siria ha sido cancelada. Por el momento.

"America no es el policía del mundo. Suceden cosas terribles en todo el mundo y está más allá de nuestros medios para corregir todo mal". Creo que para muchos de nosotros, esto cambia cómo vemos el papel de Estados Unidos en el mundo. Como Obama en su discurso, "por"casi siete décadas, Estados Unidos ha sido el ancla de la estabilidad. Hemos sido un ancla de estabilidad, pero no hemos sido Superman de todo el mundo.

Algunos de ustedes se preguntarán, ¿qué pasó? Aquí es un breve resumen de la jornada.

1. El plan era que el Congreso votará o no americano debe hacer ataques estratégicos contra Siria. El Presidente había dicho que no ordenaría botas-on-the-ground acción allí.

2. Rusos diplomáticos pidieron a Siria para revelar y renunciar a su arsenal de armas químicas y firmar un Convenio de armas químicas.

3. Siria dijo que sí!

4. Esto llevó a la presión de una situación caliente.

A Obama, quien podría ahora retrocede en su convocatoria de huelga: "Tengo una preferencia profundamente sostenida por soluciones pacíficas", dijo esta noche. Pero el conflicto en Siria no es excesivo y ataques contra Siria no están completamente fuera de la mesa. El Presidente dijo que ha "ordenado nuestros militares para mantener su postura actual para mantener la presión sobre Assad."

Victoria diplomática de Rusia definitivamente nos da tiempo para dar la idea de la intervención del pensamiento serio que merece, sin embargo. Obama hizo llamamientos a la derecha y la izquierda.

A mis amigos a la derecha, los invito a conciliar su compromiso con el poderío militar de Estados Unidos con la imposibilidad de actuar cuando está así claramente que una causa. A mis amigos de la izquierda, pido que reconciliar su creencia en la libertad y dignidad para todas las personas con esas imágenes de niños retorciéndose de dolor y aún en un piso de hospital fría, a veces resoluciones y declaraciones de condena simplemente no son suficientes.

Así que si queremos ser un factor de estabilidad y no esperar y observar un régimen brutal ataque a su propio pueblo, ¿qué hacemos? Bueno, a partir de hoy vivimos a debatir otro día. "Las cargas del liderazgo a menudo son pesadas", Obama dijo esta noche, "pero el mundo es un lugar mejor porque nos hemos llevado los".

Leer una transcripción del discurso de Obama esta noche. Conozca más acerca ante de Obama del régimen de Assad uso de armas químicas.

¿Cómo ve el papel de Estados Unidos en el mundo--¿estás sorprendido de oír que Obama dice que no son el policía del mundo?

Imagen a través de la casa blanca/YouTube 

Haga clic en "Me gusta" para más en temas que son importantes para las mamás. Sobre el autor Adriana Velez

es un escritor que recrea en alimentos, crianza, noticias, Entretenimiento, biología molecular y nada más que eso salta a la cabeza. Ella vive con su hijo de edad escolar primaria en Brooklyn, tierra de chacras urbanas y artesanal todo.

Más
?

reacties | | Read More...

Rodeo Clown Wearing Obama Mask Didn’t Do Anything Illegal But Still Shamed America (VIDEO)

woensdag 14 augustus 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Adriana Velez 1 hour ago

You've heard about the Missouri rodeo clown who wore an Obama mask, right? Over the weekend at the Missouri State Fair, a clown wore a rubber Obama mask with a broom for a tail as an announcer asked over the PA system who wanted to see the president "run down by a bull." Photos and video popped up all over the Internet. And the Obama mask-wearing rodeo clown got a lifetime ban from the Missouri State Fair. We could call this story: How a rodeo clown embarrassed the state of Missouri.

But let me play Devil's advocate for a minute here. What's the big deal? Rodeo clowns have impersonated sitting presidents before, and the nation didn't go up in flames as a result. And what about free speech? What, we're going to start censoring rodeo clowns now? CLOWNS? Well nation, it's not quite that simple. Here's why I think this rodeo incident is such a big, messy problem.

Let's get the free speech argument out of the way, first. Yes, of course people have the right to spout off like assholes so long as they're not threatening anyone and it doesn't veer into hate speech or incite a mob. But this isn't about rights. This is about responsibility. The officials who banned the clown are responsible for maintaining a certain level of respectability. They are also partly responsible for Missouri's image -- and that state's image was definitely damaged by this event. And they're responsible for the tone set at their state fair.

We're living in the age of social media, so whatever people got away with in the past isn't necessarily going to fly now. Maybe 10 years ago you could've done this, and there would have been some local outrage. Now the outrage is worldwide, and Missouri's humiliation is that much greater.

Just because it's happened in the past doesn't make it acceptable. As Missouri state representative Steve Webb said, “Since I’ve been in the legislature, we’ve seen a lot of things with a lot of racial undertones. But nothing’s ever done about it. There has to be consequences at some point.”

And that tone? Some witnesses said they felt like they were at a Klu Klux Klan rally. (That not EVERYONE felt that way doesn't invalidate the feelings of the people who did.) Things got ... creepy. Another rodeo clown reportedly bobbled the lips of the Obama clown, which is a pretty blatant racist gesture. I doubt there were any racist gestures or sentiments expressed when that same rodeo clown impersonated President George Bush nearly a decade ago. And that matters. It's one thing to mock a president. It's another thing to denigrate an entire group of people by mocking a president. Get the difference?

Basically, this rodeo clown brought out the worst in the crowd. Whatever racist feelings people were harboring were given free reign because it's not really the president, we're just joking around here, it's not real. You don't have to be the one wearing a mask to suddenly feel like all the normal rules of polite social behavior have been lifted.

So drop the free speech grand-standing for a moment. No one was arrested or otherwise penalized by the law. This is about ... decency. This is not about what we have the "right" to do. This is about what kind of environment we want to bring our children into, and the values we want to pass on.

Do you think Missouri State Fair officials were right to ban the rodeo clown?

Image via KansasCityStarVideo/YouTube

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adriana Velez

is a staff writer who dabbles in food, parenting, news, entertainment, molecular biology, and anything else that that pops into her head. She lives with her elementary school-aged son in Brooklyn, land of urban farms and artisan everything.  

More
?

reacties | | Read More...